Andrea Christenson

In the past five years, real estate broker Andrea Christenson has closed more than 100 deals for retail and restaurant space around the Twin Cities. She’s the Realtor of record for IDS Center’s retail space and founded The List, an invitation-only networking group.

What’s the biggest turning point in your career and how did that lead you to where you are today?

When I was a kid, we used to come up from Des Moines, Iowa, and go downtown and walk through IDS. And all through and even after college, my girlfriends and I would come here and shop and I always thought, ‘If I could work at IDS, that would just be a dream.’ Now I work at IDS and lease the retail at IDS, and you realize that you make all these steps in your career, and then it kind of culminates into a dream come true.

Who mentored you and what was the biggest takeaway?

Retired broker Helen Brooks. When she started out, they wouldn’t let her into any of the trade organizations because she was a woman; that was the only reason. How tough she had to be and yet she’s not bitter. She just did what she had to do to succeed because she had a family to support. And she earned everybody’s respect.

What’s your proudest community achievement?

I’m co-founder of the Skyway Golf Tournament where every year we bring thousands of mini-golfers downtown and all the money goes to charity. I’m also on the Hennepin Theatre Trust Board and it’s such an honor. I love what it does for downtown.